Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published 18 novels, 1 novella, 1 short story collection, 6 non-fiction books, 5 poetry collections, 12 plays and 2 other books, beginning with The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774). The best-known is Faust (1808).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Standalone novels in order
The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774)
Wanderer's Nightsong (1776)
Wilhelm Meister's Theatrical Calling (1777)
Metamorphosis of Plants (1790)
Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (1790)
Reynard, the Fox (1794)
Xenien (1797)
The Natural Daughter (1803)
Faust, Part One (1808)
Elective Affinities (1809)
Theory of Colours (1810)
From My Life: Poetry and Truth (1811)
The Dance of the Dead (1815)
Italian Journey (1816)
Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years (1821)
Urfaust (1887)
Conversations of Goethe (1956)
Der Schatzgräber (2000)
Novellas in order
The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily (1795)
Short story collections in order
The German Refugees (1795)
Non-fiction in order
Sämtliche Werke (1800)
The Autobiography of Goethe (1800)
Zur Farbenlehre (1810)
Poetry and Truth from My Own Life (1824)
Early and Miscellaneous Letters (1846)
Maxims and Reflections of Goethe (1997)
Poetry in order
Roman Elegies (1795)
Hermann and Dorothea (1799)
West–Eastern Diwan (1819)
Poems (1853)
Miscellaneous Travels (1873)
Plays in order
Götz Von Berlichingen (1773)
Clavigo (1774)
Stella (1776)
The Accomplices (1777)
Iphigenia in Tauris (1787)
Egmont (1788)
Torquato Tasso (1790)
Der Bürgergeneral (1793)
Die Laune Des Verliebten (1806)
Faust (1808)
Goethe on the Theater (1828)
Faust, Part Two (1832)
Other books in order
West-Eastern Divan (2019)
Color Theory
Film and TV adaptations
- Goetz von Berlichingen of the Iron Hand (1925)Film · from Götz Von Berlichingen
- The Novel of Werther (1938)Film · from The Sorrows of Young Werther
- Werther (1986)Film · from The Sorrows of Young Werther
- Young Werther (1993)Film · from The Sorrows of Young Werther
- Young Goethe in Love (2010)Film · from The Sorrows of Young Werther
- Wrong Move (1975)Film · from Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship
- Reynard the Fox (1989)Film · from Reynard, the Fox
- Faustina (1957)Film · from Faust
- Phantom of the Paradise (1974)Film · from Faust
- Faust (2011 film) (2011)Film · from Faust
- The Last Faust (2019)Film · from Faust
- The Elective Affinities (1996)Film · from Elective Affinities
Free to read
All free classicsErotica Romana
Faust [part 1]. Translated Into English in the Original Metres
Goethe's Theory of Colours
Faust
Maxims and Reflections
The Poems of Goethe, Translated in the Original Metres
Wilhelm Meister's apprenticeship and travels, vol. 1 (of 2)
German Fiction
Goethe's literary essays
Autobiography
Letters from Switzerland and Travels in Italy
Wilhelm Meister's apprenticeship and travels, vol. 2 (of 2)
Goethe and Schiller's Xenions
The princess and the tiger
![Cover of Faust [part 1]. Translated Into English in the Original Metres](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/14591/pg14591.cover.medium.jpg)
About Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on literary, political, Christian views, and philosophical thought in the Western world from the late 18th century to the present. A poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre-director, and critic, Goethe wrote a wide range of works, including plays, poetry and aesthetic criticism, as well as treatises on botany, anatomy, and colour.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe FAQ
- How many books has Johann Wolfgang von Goethe written?
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published 18 novels, 1 novella, 1 short story collection, 6 non-fiction books, 5 poetry collections, 12 plays and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Faust.
- What is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's last book?
- Poetry and Truth from My Own Life (1824).
- What is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's most famous book?
- Faust (1808) is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's most widely read book.
- Which Johann Wolfgang von Goethe books have been adapted?
- 6 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Götz Von Berlichingen (as Goetz von Berlichingen of the Iron Hand, film, 1925), The Sorrows of Young Werther (as The Novel of Werther, film, 1938), Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (as Wrong Move, film, 1975) and Reynard, the Fox (as Reynard the Fox, film, 1989).
- Can I read Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's books for free?
- Yes. 20 books by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.